Butternut Squash Sauce Served Over Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken

Nicole recommended that I try using our bounty of butternut squash to make some sauce. At first I thoght this sounded strange, but then I went searching for recipes and I realized it was actually quite a brilliant idea! Rather than making a sauce for pasta I decided to make a sauce to serve over some roasted chicken.

Autumn Grilled Chicken

4 ounces raw chicken breast

2 shakes of cayenne pepper (on each)

2 shakes of nutmeg (on each)

2 shakes of pumpkin spice (on each)

Dash of salt

1 tsp olive oil

Directions

1. Spray the chicken with some olive oil so the breasts are nice and coated
2. Spread the spices evenly over the chicken
3. Grill until no longer pink in the middle (should reach 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast).

Butternut Squash Sauce

~6 servings

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup half and half

1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg

2 T scallions

1 T chopped parsley

2 t lemon juice

Pepper to taste

Water to thin the sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half and scoop out the guts and seeds and discard them. Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the squash flesh from the skins and either puree in a large blender or put it in the pan in which you will be making the sauce and just mash with a large fork (this is what I did and it was less mess and very easy).

2. Cook the puree for about a minute to get hot. Add the half and half, a tablespoon at a time, slowly stirring it in to incorporate and to avoid lumps. Stir in the parmesan. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add water (or low sodium chicken stock) to thin to the consistency you want. Take off heat and add the parsley, scallions, and lemon juice. Cover the pan to keep warm.

3. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately.

This meal was a TEN! I can’t wait to show you what I did with the leftover sauce (that’s for next weekend’s post!).

Nearly One in Six In Poverty In the US(Can you imagine having to pick between a meal or a place to sleep? This is just so sad.Everyone should do their part and give back if they can. I gave to a favorite fund yesterday and I feel blessed that I could share with those who need it most.)

Comments

I love Harvards Healthy Eating Plate. I think it has everything MyPlate was lacking and got rid of unnecessary things (like dairy) that were probably only on there because of special interests. I think Healthy Eating Plate outlines the guidelines the way they should be!

Butternut squash sauce is a great idea! It’s probably pretty similar to “smashed butternut squash.”

I like the Harvard Plate a lot better. I think it includes the information people need to make healthier choices. Unfortunately, The USDA’s MyPlate is just too simple… I also like that the veggie section is clearly bigger than the fruit section. But by saying to choose plenty of fruits, I still wonder if people will overdo it on fruit. Also, I would like some more info on potatoes. Aren’t sweet potatoes, for example, better than regular potatoes? I understand that French fries shouldn’t count as a veggie, but what about a baked sweet potato?

That is such a great idea and I bet it makes the chicken super moist! I love textures in my sauces so chunnnnnky is very good. I also really like the Harvard’s plate design because it gives a bit more important info that I think people need.

Absolutely genius sauce idea! I’m definitely going to try this out. And, since (I think )you are a fellow pine nut lover, this would be fabulous with some pine nuts sprinkled on top :-). Very interesting research on inhaled insulin and Alzheimer’s! Kitchen scale? Just got one about a month ago…can’t believe I waited this long! Enjoy the rest of your weekend

OK so harvard’s plate isn’t all that different but the commentary is great. Why did the USDA assume we were all so stupid that what they did cut it? I hadn’t seen that so thanks for posting. I love the name “autumn chicken” sounds so appealing will have to try it. I like texture too.

This looks DELICIOUS! Butternut squash and grilled chicken are two of my favourite things; and conveniently I have some raw chicken tender breasts I need to cook tonight and all the other ingredients…except I have a spaghetti squash instead of butternut so perhaps I’ll do something with that to make a variation

Gina, The Candid RD

I'm a registered dietitian working hard to dispel nutrition myths, and to teach people how to live healthy lives without deprivation. My goal is to make nutrition simple, fun and delicious! I also follow a low FODMAPs diet for IBS. Feel free to contact me with questions.

Disclaimer

This blog is meant to teach and inform you about nutrition and nutrition-related information. It serves as an outlet for my own personal opinions, but is not meant to be used as an absolute source of information. Before using this information to make any changes to your diet or lifestyle, I recommend that you talk to your doctor or local registered dietitian (contact me for options). Also, my low-FODMAPs recipes and recipe modifications are based on research done by the Monash University. Please contact me if you see something that you believe is inaccurate. I like to help, not confuse.